Local News of Westerly Anniversary

Nuuska

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On that video @2:21 is a horrible sight :mad: :mad: :mad:
 

HeyMikey

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A museum and venue for smallish performances, luthier classes, etc. would be cool. A custom shop would be even better but who am I kidding.
 

cupric

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A museum and venue for smallish performances, luthier classes, etc. would be cool. A custom shop would be even better but who am I kidding.
The Johnny cake center originally took this space because it was a inexpensive rent. There was a lot of the repurposing of old mills and factories happening in RI. Some were turned into condos, but many became artist work spaces, etc. I think the time to create a Guild museum/guitar venue was then. Old downtown Westerly, where the factory is located, experienced a bit of a renaissance in the later 90s and early 2000s. Excellent small restaurants, coffee houses. And Frets remained and was successful. I think the ball was dropped and,unfortunately, the time for this has passed.
 

chazmo

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I doubt there will be a strong will to create a Guild museum, but if CMG were to do so, I'm sure they'd do it by their headquarters or their Guild facility in CA. Establishing it out here on the east coast, especially in Westerly as an homage to Guild's history doesn't seem likely at all to me. Guild's management today would want such a museum close by to entertain guests / dealers / whatever.

Different story if the museum were something individuals set up, perhaps with CMG's blessing. I just can't see that ever happening.
 

mavuser

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The Johnny cake center originally took this space because it was a inexpensive rent. There was a lot of the repurposing of old mills and factories happening in RI. Some were turned into condos, but many became artist work spaces, etc. I think the time to create a Guild museum/guitar venue was then. Old downtown Westerly, where the factory is located, experienced a bit of a renaissance in the later 90s and early 2000s. Excellent small restaurants, coffee houses. And Frets remained and was successful. I think the ball was dropped and,unfortunately, the time for this has passed.
the time has never passed for a private entity to embark on a real estate investment, especially in a place like (anywhere in the State) of Rhode Island. As for upgrading the building to build guitatrs (properly) there, or teach classes to do so, that part is not so realistic. In reality, no matter what, the entire building would need significant attention, for any type of repurposing. If a music space/restaraunt and possibly modest guitar showroom/shop were established there, I could see some additional development or portion(s) of the building such as a few apartments or hotel rooms, or both; and a small coffee shop for those individuals. maybe still a small thrift store or whatever has sucessfully established themselves there to this point. it's a big building!
 

mavuser

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I doubt there will be a strong will to create a Guild museum, but if CMG were to do so, I'm sure they'd do it by their headquarters or their Guild facility in CA. Establishing it out here on the east coast, especially in Westerly as an homage to Guild's history doesn't seem likely at all to me. Guild's management today would want such a museum close by to entertain guests / dealers / whatever.

Different story if the museum were something individuals set up, perhaps with CMG's blessing. I just can't see that ever happening.

CMG would never do it on their own, they don't have the guitars for a museum, and are not in the restaraunt/live music space industry. and they are 3,000 miles from town...

not sure though, why you couldn't see their blessing on a licensing deal, that pays them money, helps grow thier brand, and provides an immidiately iconic retail outlet, for them to sell their current production instruments, in a populated and wealthy region of NE USA? Some repairs could be done there, or just brought there to be sent out to Guild Authorized repairs, as well. Sure this all would not be so easy to bring to fruition, but I have seen much more ambitious/outlandish undertakings, come to be.
 

mavuser

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there is a thrift shop there right now, any one of us i'd bet could rent space from them right now, and start selling used Guilds there *today.
for that you need nobody's blessing, other than own willingness/desire/operating budget to do so. If something cool came of that, would be a medium step, in an uknown direction, of at least bringing some level of glory back to the temple!
 

HeyMikey

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Group shop hub? Anyone familiar with the Jewelers Building in Boston? it was, maybe still is, a hub of many jewelry retailers, goldsmiths, stringers, lapidaries, stone merchants and supply wholesalers. Small retailers from around the State would bring / pick up their repairs there weekly if they didn’t have on site repair people. And while there could do other business. Open to the public also. Maybe a similar concept? Pipe dream but it would be cool.
 

cupric

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Frets Guitar Workshop is about 1/4 miles from the old factory. It has been there for many years. Zack, the owner and luthier, was a Guild employee. He always has Guilds on hand. I'm addition he does setups, repairs, etc. He also has a large collection of historic Guild literature, etc. He is very knowledgeable. His presence in Westerly is as close to a museum as one can get.
 

HeyMikey

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Archtop Ale, 512 Five Hopped IPA, Dark 55 Creamy Stout...
 

fronobulax

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Perhaps a brewery and live acoustic musc venue?


In the New Hartford factory.

In my area the winery/brewery/pub with live music market was close to saturated before Covid. As a consumer I like the choices but the format only seems to support solo acts that are willing to take home less than $10 an hour. A gig at such a place used to have a concert like atmosphere - the tables closest to the performer were quiet and listened- but the musicians just provided background music for a crowd that mostly ignored them.
 
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